Valve



Nov. 2, 1943. H. A. BENZL 2,333,288

y VALVE y Filed July 1, 1942 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS- Patented Nov. 2, 1943 VALVE Howard A. Benzel, Marilla, N. Y., assignor to Scott Aviation Corporation, Lancaster, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 1, 1942, Serial No. 449,220

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve structure and more particularly to a check valve intended for use in an apparatus whereby oxygen is supplied to the mask of an aviator when flying in high altitudes.

Apparatus for this purpose must be as compact and light as possible and this of necessity requires the check valve structure to be made very small. Owing to the necessity of making these check valves very small it has been very difficult to make the same leak-tight so that the oxygen supplying apparatus will operate most eiliciently and reliably.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a valve structure which can be made very small and yet operate to positively prevent leakage when the same is in a closed position and thus operate with maximum efficiency in controlling the ow of oxygen or other fluid.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a satisfactory example of check valve structure embodying this invention and showing the valve open.

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections of the same taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1 and looking, respectively, in the direction of the arrows associated with these lines.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, similar to Fig. 1, showing the valve closed.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 represent sectional views similar to Fig. l, showing various modifications of this invention.

In the following description similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, the numeral lil represents the body of a check valve which is organized to open and permit gas, air or other uid to ow in one direction but prevent flow ofthe same in the opposite direction as required, for example, in apparatus for supplying oxygen 'from containers to the gas masks of aviators who are required to reach very high altitudes.

A main fluid passage extends through this body from one side of the same to the other which comprises a comparatively small inlet opening or section l l and a comparatively large outlet opening or section l2, both of which are of tubular form and axially in line and provide an annular flat shoulder I3 which faces toward the large part of the fluid passage.

The numeral I4 represents a valve ring or annular valve member which is made of soft rubber or other resilient material and provided with a fiat rear side l5 which engages with the flat shoulder I3, a central port I6 which registers with the inlet section II of the fluid passage and a flat front valve seat Il which faces toward the large section of the uid passage in the body.

This valve ring is securely held against the shoulder I5 of the valve body by a clamping and guiding sleeve I8 which is movable toward and from the valve ring and provided with an external screw thread I9 on its periphery which engages with an internal screw thread 20 on the bore of the large part of the uid passage. By screwing the clamping sleeve inwardly the same exerts pressure against the valve ring for holding the same in place. A washer or bearing ring 2| of metal is preferably interposed between the front or inner end of the clamping sleeve and the valve face of the valve ring so that the pressure of the latter when screwing the same forwardly will be transmitted to the valve ring without causing distortion or displacement of the adjacent part of the valve ring but instead will leave the same dat to provide an even valve seat. The inner or front end of the clamping sleeve is preferably tapered, as shown at 22, thereby forming a narrow bearing face 23 on the respective` end of the clamping sleeve which engages with the bearing washer 2l at a distance from its outer edge and concentrating this pressure adjacent to the inner edge of this washer and thus maintaining the valve seat of the valve ring `in a flat condition.

The numeral 24 represents a non-resilient valve closure member which is preferably constructed of metal in the form of a disk and mounted on the clamping sleeve so -as to be .movable toward and from the valve ring. This disk-shaped valve closure is preferably guided. on the clamping sleeve by a valve stem 25. projecting outwardly from. the central rear part of the valve disk and sliding in a guideway 26 in the centralpart Aof a web 2l formed on the outer or rear part of the clamping sleeve. Communication between the interior of the clamping sleeve and the interior of the large part of vthe fluid passage is established through by-pass openings 28 formed in the web 21 between the guideway 25 and the clamping sleeve.

When fluid is admitted through the small part or end l l of the fluid passage the pressure against .the valve disk 22 moves the same away from the seat on the valve ring, thereby uncovering the port i6 in the valve ring, as shown in Fig. 1, and permitting the fluid to fiow through the clamping sleeve, by-pass openings 28, and discharge through the large outlet part or end of the liuid passage to Whatever space is in communication with the latter.

Whenever the ow of fluid inwardly through the small inlet end I l of the Iluid passage ceases and the pressure of the fluid in the large outlet end I2 predominates, the valve disk 24 is moved forwardly or inwardly by this pressure so as to engage its "frd'ntf "slddwith thyex vzlflve:` seat and cover the port f6, as shown in Fig. 4, therebyv clos# ing this check valve and preventing flow of liquid or gas in a reverse direction through the fluid" The opening movement yof the valve passage. disk is limited by engagement of the rear sidek thereof with a stop 9 formed on thnne': side of the web 21 around the by-passphrffgs"zs'thrl in.

In the manufacture of oxygerrmsnpplying ag- A paratus for aviators it is necessary to make the check valves controlling the supply of 't'l'iisl''uid the rear side of the valve disk the inner sealing rib is embedded moderately in the soft seat of the valve ring and thereby produces an increased or secondary closing effect of the valve. As the pressure on the rear side of the valve disk `in creases the inner sealing rib is embedded deeper in the seat of the rubber valve ring and the summit *o1*h this 'outer "sealing jrib engages withthe seat of the valve ring remote from the port and thereby further increasing the closure effect of the valve. Any further increase in pressure on the rear side of the valve disk will cause the outer sealing rib to also embed itself in the VAsoft seat"orface vo fnthe valve ring and increase the A"extent to which the inner sealing rib is embe'ddintheseatof the valve ring and thereby increase the sealing eiect of the valve accordiglyf Byithis successively engaging the inner small eea-ling rib,l the wie? large sealing rib gth '."il` I toward; said' bore and sham-di' of trie varv body? thereby frlmig rni -sgrlae'f ftd' 15e-V engaged by" th large" 'outer 'sealing rib" and ensuring" positive cl6` sure of thevalvender Vall pressure conditions) v Moreover by rengagingarr-hinter pat"oftne sealingfac of `tiie'jvaive'disk with l'an inner' part or the resilient valve` ring and sbseduehtly 'ng'agfn'gan` outer' part of this"` face with the `valve seat more distant from the center of th''port", theinner" part l'oi" the valve 'ring' is* free' to A'be displaced by: the fva'lve' disk b'efdrethel radially outer part of the valve diskn'gages With the firmer part 'of tl're' valve `seat ths `further4 aiding insecuring' aleak-tight'joint"b'etwen the con; trolling lelements 0fA tl'ie valve.

Instead' ofi makingthla` val've' ring* orf disk flat on'itsppposltesid-estrie same 'may be` constructed asishown inr 'Fig::5 in'whichtheyalve seatring 32' isl provided-"ori4 its opposite sides' adjacent' to the peripherythe'reoffwith 'annularlfrontand rear flanges vor ribs 33, `34 Whichi can'be'eonmically manufactured by molds. When employing a valve seat ring'iof' this construction its front nange is preferablyengaged with'anannlar groei/ef arr harmedl or; the' battent or shoulder la` th'e'fs'arri and therear partof this.valve-i.seattril'lgv of the rear flange 34. In this case the clamping sleeve I3 bears against the rear end of the washer 36, 37 and upon tightening this sleeve the outer marginal part of the valve seat ring 32 is pressed against the shoulder I3 so as to form a leak-tight joint between the same.

By means of the front flange 33 on the valve seat ring engaging with a groove 35 which is concentric with the port II and the port hole I in the valve seat ring, the latter is maintained in its central position so as to cooperate properly with the valve disk 24, and by providing both sides of this ring with annular flanges 33, 34 either side of this seat ring can be interlocked with the valve body I0 and thus avoid the necessity of selecting the side of the valve ring for engagement with the shoulder I3.

For the purpose of securely holding the clamping sleeve in its tightened position and thus ensure against leakage the rear part of this sleeve and the adjacent part of its web 27 are provided with a transverse slit 38 and those parts of the web on opposite sides of this slit are connected by a clamping screw 39 whereby, upon tightening this screw, the threads of the clamping sleeve will be wedged against the threads of the body and thus serve as a lock for preventing accidental displacement of the clamping sleeve and valve body relative to each other. In this construction the inner sealing rib 29 is higher than the outer sealing rib 33 so that'l the same engages successively with the resilient valve seat ring 32 in the same manner as that described with reference to the construction shown in Fig. 1.

If desired the effect of first engaging those parts of the valve seat and the valve disk nearest the axis of the same and subsequently engaging those parts of these members farther from their axes may also be attained by making the inner and outer sealing ribs 40, 4I of the valve disk 24 of the same height, and also making the inner part 42 of the seat of the valve ring I24 next to its port I6 relatively high or raised and making the adjacent outer part 43 of this face depressed or lower relative to this high part, as shown in Fig. 6, whereby upon closing the valve disk 24 the high or raised central part |42 of the resilient valve seat ring will be rst engaged by the inner sealing rib 40 of the valve disk and squeezed toward its part I6 and thereafter the lower or depressed outer part 43 of this seat ring will be engaged by the outer sealing rib 4I and thus ensure a leak-tight joint between these members.

If desired the valve structure may be made as shown in Fig. 7 in which the body is provided in its fluid passage with a rearwardly facing shoulder 44 which is of rearwardly tapering conical form and the resilient valve ring 45 of corresponding rearwardly tapering form and engaged on its concave side with said shoulder and held in engagement therewith by a clamping washer 46 engaging with the front side of this resilient ring adjacent to the periphery thereof. This Washer is pressed toward the valve ring by a clamping sleeve I8 similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. The valve disk 24 in Fig. '7 is provided on its face with inner and outer sealing ribs 4Q, 4I of small and large diameters arranged concentrically one within the other and adapted to respectively engage with the face of the seat ring adjacent to the port thereof and also ai; a distance therefrom. This valve seat thus presents a high inner part 41 to the inner sealing rib 4B of the valve disk I3 and a low outer part 48 to the outer sealing rib, which ribs are concentric and of the same height, thereby obtaining a sealing effect similar to that described with reference to Fig. 6.

In each of the several forms of this invention those parts of the valve seat and disk nearest the axes of these members first come into engagement upon closiing the valve structure and thereafter those parts of the same farther from the axis of the port come into engagement and thereby secure the advantageous results heretofore described.

I claim as my invention:

l. A valve structure comprising a body having a uid passage which is provided with a rearwardly facing shoulder and an annular groove formed in said shoulder, a valve seat ring having its front side engaging with said shoulder and provided on its front side with a front flange engaging with said groove and also provided on its rear side with a rear flange, a washer having a cylindrical body surrounding the periphery of said valve seat ring and having a flange engaging the rear flange on said valve seat ring, means for pressing said valve ring and washer toward said shoulder including a clamping sleeve connected with said body, and a valve closure guided in said sleeve and movable toward and from said valve ring.

2. A valve structure comprising a body having a fluid passage provided with an internal shoulder, a Valve seat ring having a central port, a supporting face on its front side around said port engaging said shoulder and an annular seat on its rear side around said port, a sleeve having a screw threaded connection with the bore of the body and pressing against the marginal part of said valve seat ring and provided centrally with a longitudinal guideway and having a transverse slit extending from said guideway to the periphery of said sleeve, a valve closure disk movable toward and from said valve seat ring and having a stem slidable in said guideway, and a screw connecting the parts of said sleeve on opposite sides of said slit.

HOWARD A. BENZEL. 

